9 programs · checked October 17, 2026
Yard rebates in Wisconsin
9 programs pay Wisconsin residents for yard projects, 1 of them open to anyone in the state. 3 list themselves as open now. The largest, Wisconsin DNR Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant for Shoreland Practices, pays up to $1,000 per household. 4 ask for a plan, sketch or plant list before they approve a project.
- Rain barrels and cisterns1
- Rain gardens and stormwater projects2
- Stormwater fee credits4
- Native plants and pollinator habitat2
Open to anyone in Wisconsin
Statewide programs and tax benefits. Local programs below usually stack on top of these.
- OpenPlan required
Wisconsin DNR Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant for Shoreland Practices
Wisconsin DNR with UW-Extension and Wisconsin Lakes (Healthy Lakes and Rivers)
State reimbursement up to $1,000 per Best Practice; up to $25,000 per project for an applicant covering multiple owners; owner cost-share percentage not stated on page
Up to $1,000 per household
Rain barrel and cistern rebates
Rebates, discounts and free barrels for catching roof runoff
- Seasonal
MMSD Free Rain Barrel Workshops
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Fresh Coast
One free rain barrel per owner-occupied household
Rain garden and stormwater rebates
Rain gardens, downspout disconnection, permeable paving and dry wells
- Status not postedPlan required
Madison Private Rain Garden Reimbursement
City of Madison Engineering Division
Reimbursement calculated with the city's Reimbursement Calculator spreadsheet (rate not published on the page)
- Status not posted
Madison Terrace Rain Garden Cost-Sharing Program
City of Madison Engineering Division
Homeowner pays $100 (covers construction, labor, mulch, plants); full cost is about $2,500 and the City pays the rest
Stormwater fee credits
Lower your stormwater fee for managing runoff on your lot
- OpenPlan required
Madison Stormwater Utility Credit for Rain Gardens
City of Madison Engineering Division (Stormwater Utility)
Credit amount set by the City's Residential Rain Garden chart (Chart B); percentage not captured
- Open
Oshkosh Residential Stormwater Credit for Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens
City of Oshkosh Stormwater Utility
Rain gardens typically earn quantity and quality credit, rain barrels quality credit only; policy allows up to 75% total credit (exact per-practice percentages not retrieved)
- Status not postedPlan required
Fitchburg Stormwater Utility Credit for Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens
City of Fitchburg Public Works Department (Stormwater Utility)
Rain barrel: one-time $6 per 55 gal container (urban) or $5 (rural). Rain garden or pervious pavement: $4 per quarter (urban) or $2 per quarter (rural). Creek Supporter pledge: $2 per quarter urban, $1 rural.
- Status not posted
La Crosse Stormwater Utility Credit for Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels
City of La Crosse Stormwater Utility
Rain garden credit scales with storage volume: no credit below 92 cubic feet, up to 80% credit at 185 cubic feet or more (intermediate tiers not confirmed)
Native plant and pollinator rebates
Native plantings, pollinator gardens and lawn-to-meadow conversions
- Seasonal
MMSD Rain Garden Native Plant Sale
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District with Agrecol Native Seed and Plant Nursery
Plants at up to 50% off retail
Cities with their own programs
Each city page lists everything a resident can use, from the city’s own programs to countywide and statewide ones.
Sow is not affiliated with any of these agencies or utilities. Amounts and rules change, often at the start of a fiscal year, so confirm the details on the official page before you start a project. How we research these programs
Plan your Wisconsin yard project in Sow
Lay out the new planting on a photo of your yard and keep the plant list in one place, ready for the application.